Local and European election results clearly show public feeling following the expenses fiasco.

The Labour Party is finally being punished. Punished for MP’s ridiculous expense claims that have made a mockery of the tax payer and left a bitter taste of distrust in the political sphere among voters and politicians.

The floodgates of expense claims opened with an adult movie bought by Jackie Smith’s husband and sneakily put on the taxpayers’ bill. But it didn’t stop there. We later discovered that MP’s have made claims for moats, helipads and duck hotels, their hands snapping at the purse strings of the nation – all under Gordon Brown’s bleary-eyed watch.

Westminster - the new Big Brother house?

Moral is at an all time low and faith in the once almighty Labour Party has all but disappeared.

Now politicians, many at the forefront of the expense embarrassment, are jumping ship to save themselves. Jackie Smith, Hazel Blears and James Purnell have all publically resigned. Who is next in this mutiny?

Gordon Brown can reshuffle the old crew all he likes but rotten wood will always be rotten wood. What the public needs is strong new wood to rebuild the ship’s skeleton and the bones of a democratic society.

An early Autumn election is the only way to do this. The Labour Party has lost all credibility and the only way to gain this back is with a General Election.
Having established that politicians are completely incapable of self-regulation, it seems obvious to let the public make the decisions in terms of who should stay and who should go.

In denying the public this, it is ignoring the principles at the heart of a democratic society. It is denying a fresh start and forcing the ship to sink faster.
Gordon Brown’s botched attempt at rebuilding the ship with a so-called reshuffle is a joke. Anyone can see this is not going to save him. It is simply prolonging the suffering of him and his crew.

And this joke is being played out before the eyes of the nation. It seems a similar show to Big Brother is being played out before us in the Houses of Parliament. It is embarrassing to watch. What little respect there was left for contestants is gradually wearing away further.

And as with the show, if the public has no say in evictions, people simply start switching off.

We need to stop Westminster being seen as a joke and rebuild respect. Gordon Brown needs to step up and give the chance for the public to participate. This is the only way forward and out of this mess.